Originally posted by PhiGammaDawg Are there any ideas on how to make randori more realistic?

Should uke commit to his strikes and really try to strike nage? Can uke strike in any way or fashion...a kick here or there? Can uke use some knives (rubber maybe)for randori?

One problem Seagal Sensei realized is that fighting on the mat is very different from the street. He likened it to swimming in the ocean versus swimming in the mat.

I didn't reallize that Steven Seagal had done any street fighting. I do know that two of the Japanese Shihan (one then, the other now) that he was dissing after they were helping him at Juso were/are famous for taking it to the street. They at least know what they are talking about.

The older Shihan (now dead) used to have the other Shihan (still alive and kicking) teach a particular variation of randori where the idea of nage/uke dissapears to his students to address that very issue.